Carrier-despatch system.



Patented Jan. 20, 1914.

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F. L. SOULE.

CARRIER DESPATGH SYSTEM.

APPLICATION TILED PERM, 1913.

W] 7 NE SSE S:

COLUMBIA PLANounAi H ca. WASHINGTON. n c.

ITE STATES PllENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK L. SOULE, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE LAMSON COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CARRIER-DESPATCH SYSTEM.

Application filed February 24, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK L. SoULn, of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carrier-Despatch Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to carrier despatch systems and apparatus and has for its ob ject the provision of means for timing carriers which have been delivered to a station and which when said carriers have not been removed therefrom, or attended to as promptly as the exigencies of the business, or traffic which involves the use of said carriers, may require, will direct attention to or otherwise note such non-removal.

Particularly in pneumatic despatch systems, it frequently happens that a carrier arriving at, for example, the cashiers station, is not withdrawn promptly from the repository, to which it is delivered by the tube, by the employee or operative whose duty it is to remove such carriers from said repository and to examine the contents thereof, making such disposition of said contents as may be required.

One of the principal objects of the present invention, therefore, is to provide means which will indicate to the said operator and preferably also to some one else, in authority, that the trailic at this station is not being handled as expeditiously as might be desired. These and other objects of my inven tion will be hereinafter referred to and the novel elements and combinations of elements whereby said objects may be attained will be more particularly described in the succeeding disclosure and thereafter set forth in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof and in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, I have exemplified a preferred construction. I am aware, how ever, that various changes and modifications may be made herein. without departing from the spirit of my invention and I hence desire to be limited only by the scope of said claims.

Referring to the drawing: Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation of the end of a transmission tube which constitutes the repository referred to, in the pres ent instance; together with the timing and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 20, 1914. Serial No. 750,074.

signaling devices which are successively thrown into operation by the arrival of a carrier. Fig. 2 is a vertical median section taken through the timing device shown in F g. 1, parallel to the plane of the paper. F 1g. 3 is a detail drawn to an enlarged scale and showing the switch or contact making apparatus which completes the circuit through the preferably electrically operated indicating device. Fi 41 is a detailed soction of the lower out of the transmission tube drawn to an enlarged scale; the plane of the section corresponding to that of Fig. 2.

The transmission tube has been designated 1 and preferably has the lower extremity thereof outwardly curved as at 2 to form a repository or receptacle into which the arriving carriers are deposited. The wall of the tube adjacent the lower extremity thereof is cut away in a known manner as at 3 to permit of the removal of a carrier 4 through the opening thus afforded.

The descending carrier comes to rest against a button 5 which is mounted upon the upper extremity of a rod 6, the lower end of which carries a valve 7 The latter is normally seated through the instrumentality of a light spring 8 against the lower edge of a recessed member 9 which closes the lower extremity of the tube 1; the body of the member 9 being held in place in the tube in any suitable manner, as by means of studs or rivets 10 and being provided, upon its upper surface, with a cushion 11 of felt or the like; the rod 6 and spring 8 extending upwardly through the aperture 12 in said cushion.

The spring 8 is compressed by the weight of the carrier reposing upon the button 5 so that the valve stem (3 is driven downwardly by the carrier and opens the valve 7. The recess 13 in the member 9 which is closed by valve 7 is in communication with the space 14 in a cylinder 15, above a plunger or piston 16 in said cylinder: a pipe 17 connecting said member 9 with a lug 18 upon the upper end of cylinder 15, said lug having a T-shaped recess 19 therein. Recess 19 is further placed in communication with some suitable means adapted to normally maintain a partial vacuum in saidv recess and thereby in the space or chamber 1 1 above referred to. In the present instance, a pipt 20 leads from the boss or lug 18 to the said cured to the stem air exhausting or vacuum producing means which have been merely diagrammatically indicated at 21 in Fig. 1. As the valve 7 is normally closed by its spring 8, the piston 1.6 will normally be retained by atmospheric pressure in the upper extremity of the cylinder 15 the space 22below said piston "being filled with air at atmospheric pressure when.

the mechanism is not rendered operative by the arrival of a carrier. To this-end a valve 23, which in effect is a check valve, is provided; said valve being substantially cylindrical in form and having apertures 24 in the walls thereof adjacent the flanged end or head 25 of said valve. As the piston is drawn upwardly, or rather is pressed upwardly, by atmospheric pressure, the valve 23 is raised and the air passes freely into chamber 22 through the apertures v24. When, however, the vacuum .in the chamber 14 is broken by the admission of air to the recess 13, owing to the arrivalof a carrier and the consequent opening of valve 17, valve 23 drops by gravity and the air in chamber 22 is slightly compressed by the weight of the piston 16 and parts attached thereto. This slightly compressed air is allowed to gradually escape through a port 26 in the lower head 27 of the cylinder; and the outward flow of air through this port maybe governed or controlled to a nicety by means of a needle valve .28. Hence the descent of piston 16 will occupy Ian-appreciable period of time and the speed'of descent may be retarded or accelerated, as described, by proper adjustment of the needle valve 28. The stem 29 of the piston extends through the head 27 and has a closeor snug running fit therewith. The lower end of said stem 29 in turncarries a contact disk 30 which preferably is somewhat loosely mounted upon the said stem so as to permit it to cant slightly should one or the other of the contacts 31, therebelow, chance to be unduly elevated.

Disk 30 is made of conductive material, such as copper; but is insulated from the stem .29 by means of a bushing 32 of suitable material, such as hard rubber or the like. The lower extremity of the stem 29 is provided with a collar 83 which is held thereon by means of a pin 34 and which serves to limit the downward movement of the disk 30 over said stem the latter being urged downwardly both by gravity and a light spring 35, in the present instance. A collar 36 se- 29 by a pin or cotter 37 maintains the spring'35 under compression.

The contacts 31 are respectively connected to wires 38-39 which together with said contacts andthe electrically operated signaling device, in the present instance a lamp 40, constitute the signaling circuit.

It will be understood, of course, that I am in no wise to be limited to an electrically operated signal but I prefer a signal of this type since it permits of the disposition of the signal proper at a point relatively remote from the carrier repository while at the same time assuring practically instantaneous notification to the person in authority stationedat this distant point, of the failure of the person responsible for the removal of the carriers from the reposltory to remove any given carrier within a determined interval of time, such for example as ten seconds.

The operation of the device, in brief, is as follows: The arriving carrier 4 impinges against'thebutton 5 and opens .the valve 7 This'breaks the vacuum in chamber 14 sufiiciently'to permit the plunger 16 to gradually descend until the contact disk 30 closes the circuit through the indicating device. As soon as a carrier is removed, the apparatus automatically resets itself, the removal of said carrier permitting the closure of valve 7 and the rest-ablishm'ent of an adequate vacuum in chamber 14 so as to promptly reelevate piston 16 and thereby the contact element 30, interrupting the signaling circuit. It obviously will makeno difference, in so far as the operation of the signaling apparatus is concerned, whether a carrier whi b has started the timing device into operation,'be removed after a lapse of, let us say, two seconds, five seconds or nine seconds, provided that it is so removed before the determined .period of time has elapsed; and it is obvious also that the timing device will re-time automatically for each succeeding carrier which moves into engagement with the button -5.

.Having thus described my invention what I claim is i 1. In a pneumatic despatch tube system, the combination of a transmission tube for carriers, a'station to which said carriers are delivered, and means, including time element mechanism, for rendering evident the continued presence of a carrier ata part of said station in excess of an allotted time during which said carrier should normally be removed from the path of travel of succeeding carriers.

.2. In a carrier despatching and receiving apparatus, the combination of means for guiding carriers in transit, a station to whiclrsaid carriers are delivered, and means, including time element mechanism, for rendering evident the continued presence of a carrier at a part of said station in excess of an allotted time during which said carrier should normally be removed from the path of succeeding carriers.

3. In carrier .despatching and receiving apparatus, the combination of means for guiding carriers in transit, a repository to which said carriers are delivered, means, for rendering evident the presence of .a carrier in said repository in excess of a determined period of time, said means including timing means and means, actuable by carriers which may be delivered to said repository, for rendering said. timing means operative to time such a carrier.

4. In carrier despatching and receiving apparatus, the combination of means for guiding carriers in transit, a repository to which said carriers are delivered, means, for rendering evident the presence of a carrier in said repository in excess of a period of time adequate for the removal of a carrier from said repository under the service conditions imposed upon said apparatus, said means including a power actuated timing device, means, actuable by carriers which may be delivered to said repository, for rendering said timing device operative to time such a carrier, and a source of power for said timing device.

5. In carrier despatching and receiving appa'atus, the combination of means for guiding carriers in transit, a repository to which said carriers are delivered, means for rendering evident the presence of a carrier in said repository in excess of a determined period of time, said means including timing means and means, actuable by carriers which may be delivered to said repository, for rendering said timing means operative to time such a carrier, said timing device provided with adjustable means for determining the duration of said period.

6. In carrier despatching and receiving apparatus, the combination of means for guiding carriers in transit, a repository to which said carriers are delivered, means for rendering evident the presence of a carrier in said repository in excess of a determined period of time, said means including timing means and means, actuable by carriers which may be delivered to said repository, for rendering said timing means operative to time such a carrier, said second mentioned means also including electrically conductive parts constituting an electric circuit when in circuit closing relationship, and said timing means controlling said circuit.

7. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, the combination of a transmission tube for carriers, a repository to which said carriers are delivered, and means for rendering evident the presence of a carrier in said repository in excess of a determined period of time, said means including time element mechanism, and means, actuable by carriers which may be delivered to said repository, for rendering said mechanism operative to time said carrier.

8. In a despatch tube apparatus, the combination of a transmission tube for carriers, means for propelling carriers through said tube, a repository to which said carriers are delivered, and means, including a time element mechanism, for rendering evident the presence of a carrier in said repository in excess of a determined period of time.

9. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, the combination of a transmission tube for carriers, a repository to which said carriers are delivered, and means, including a fluid pressure controlled time element mechanism, for rendering evident the pressure of a carrier in said repository in excess ot' a determined period oi time.

10. In a despatch tube apparatus, the combination of a transmission tube for carriers, means for propelling carriers through said tube, a repository to which said carriers are delivered, and means, including a time element mechanism, for rendering evident the presence of a carrier in said repository in excess of a determined period of time, said means further including an element movable by said carrier and connections between said element and said mechanism for rendering the latter operative.

11. In a pneumatic despatch apparatus, the combination of a transmission tube for carriers, a repository to which said carriers are delivered, a device acted upon by suc cessive carriers as each of said carriers occupies a substantially determined position with respect to said repository, and means, including a time element mechanism and controlled by said device, for rendering evident the presence of a carrier in said repository in excess of a determined period of time.

12. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, the combination of a transmission tube for carriers, a repository to which said carriers are delivered, a device acted upon by successive carriers as each of said carriers occupies a substantially determined position with respect to said repository, means, ineluding a time element mechanism and controlled by said device, for rendering evident the presence of a carrier in said repository in excess of a determined period of time, and mechanical means whereby said device controls said time element mechanism.

13. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, the combination of a transmission tube for carriers, a repository to which said carriers are delivered, a device acted upon by successive carriers as each of said carriers occupies a substantially determined position with respect to said repository, and means, including a power actuated time ele ment mechanism and controlled by said device, for rendering evident the presence of a carrier in said repository in excess of a determined period of time, and connections for delivering power to said time element mechanism for rendering it operative.

14. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, the combination of a transmission tube for carriers, a repository to which said carriers are delivered, a valve, acted upon by successive carriers as each of said car- I ed to said receiver and operating to render riers occupies a substantially determined evident the presence of a carrier delivered position With respect to said repository, and to said receiver, a determined interval of means, including a fluid pressure actuated time after its said delivery.

5 time element mechanism and controlled by In testimony whereof I have afliXed my 15 said valve, for rendering evident the pressignature, in the presence of tWo Witnesses. ence of a carrier in said repository in ex ,FREDERICK L. SOULE. cess of a determined period of time. Witnesses;

15. In a cash carrier system, a carrier re- HENRY RIOARD, 10 ceiver and a time-controlled means connect- REVERE RICARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents eac'h,by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. U." 

